Cracker-machine.



No. 697,663. Patanted Apr. 15, I902.

J. nosaonuuan.

DRAGKER MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1902.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 697,663. Patonted Apr. l5, I902.

J. RDSBOROUGH.

CRACKEB MACHINE.

pp1ication filed Feb. 17, 1902. (No Model.) 2 Shasta-Shani 2.

Unirrnn TATES tilt JOIIN ROSBOROUGII, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CRACKER-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,663, dated April15, 1902.

Application filed February 1'7, 1902. Serial No. 94,422. (No model.)

To (tZ-Z whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Rosconoucn, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oracker-Machines, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to that class of ma chines used for rolling doughinto a thin sheet for the manufacture of crackers.

In the process of manufacturing crackers by machinery as heretoforepracticed the dough has been delivered to the rolling-rolls and conveyedtherefrom to the dough-cutters in a direct line, and in this practice ithas been necessary to sprinkle flour-dust upon the top surface of thedough and also to convey the dough over fiour-dust in order to preventthe adhesion thereof to the rolling-rolls and the carrier by which thedough afterbeing rolled is conducted to the cutters of the machine. Thispractice has occasioned the constant application of flour-dust to bothsides of the dough as it is rolled and conveyed to the cutters, apractice that is objectionable for two reasons-viz., the expenseattached to the use of the flour-dust and the detriment to theappearance of the baked product occasioned by the presence of thecoating of flour on the top surface of the crackers, resulting in thecrackers becoming browned in baking them instead of their baking in aclear white condition, as is desirable.

In the machine constructed in'accordance with my present invention Iprovide for the delivery of the dough to the rolling-rolls in adirection the reverse of that in which the dough is conveyed away fromthe rolls to the dough-cutters that cut the dough into the form of thecrackers to be subsequently baked. The object of this construction is topresent what is subsequently the lower side of the sheet of doughuppermost as it is rolled instead of lowermost, as in machines of thesame class as heretofore constructed, and by this manner of rolling thedough dispense with the necessity for application of flourdust to thetop surface of the sheet of dough,

and consequently the top surface of crackers when produced.

The invention consists in features of novelty hereinafterzfullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a top or plan View of the rolling end of a cracker-machineconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. II is a side elevationof the machine. Fig. III is a vertical longitudinal sectional View takenon line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail sectional View ofthe scraper-knife that acts to remove the dough from the lowerdough-rolling roll.

1 designates the frame of the machine, on which the carrier apron 2operates to convey the sheet of rolled dough from the rollingrolls tothe cutters (not shown) of the machine.

3 designates the drive pulley, to which power is applied to operate theparts of the machine. On the shaft of the drive-pulley 3 is a gear at.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are gears arranged in train and driven by the gear4. The gears 8 and 9 are mounted in a rocker composed of plates 11 and12, the said gears being removably mounted in said rocker, so as toprovide for their extraction and the introduction of gears of variedsize to produce variable speed in the rotation of the gear 10. Therocker-plate 12 is provided with a handle 13, that is held in a fixedposition by a setbolt 14:, arranged in a slotted arm 15, carried by astandard 16, surmounting the frame 1 of the machine.

17 designates standards mounted on the machine-frame forward of theparts heretofore referred to, and supported in said standards is across-rod 18.

19 is a dough-receiving table supported above the standards 17 andupheld bypins 20, attached to the table and seated in the cross-rod. 1

21 designates standards mounted on the machine -frame 1, and positionedin these standards is a lower roll 22 and an upper roll 23, betweenwhich the dough is passed to be reduced by said rolls to a thin sheetand delivered therefrom onto the carrier-apron 2 of the machine.

24 designates adj ustment-screws by which the boxes of the upper roll 23are moved to obtain the proper adjustment of said roll with relation tothe lower roll 22.

The lower roll 22 is driven by power communicated to the gear 10, whichis mounted on the shaft of said roll, and power is transmitted totheupper roll 23 from the lower roll through the medium of pinions 25and 26. (See Fig. I.) The roll-supporting standards 21 extend rearwardlyin an inclined direction parallel with each other, and the rolls 22 23are arranged to rotate therein in a direction to convey the doughrearwardly from the rolls as it is delivered thereto from the inclinedtable 19 and rolled into sheet form. As the dough passes to the rollsfrom the inclined table 19 it is sprinkled with flour-dust to asufiicient extent to prevent its adhering to the upper roll 23; but noflour-dust is applied to the lower surface of the dough, and itconsequently adheres to the lower roll 22. In order to separate thedough from the lower roll 22, I utilize a scraper-knife 27, that bearsagainst the roll and is pivotally mounted in bracket-arms 28, attachedto the standards 21. The scraper-knife 27 is adjustably held to the roll22 by a plate 29, carried by a pivotarm 30, that is pivoted to the arms28 and contains a set-screw 31, arranged to bear against an extension 32of the arm 28.

In the practical use of this machine the dough is reduced to a thinsheet on passing between the rolls 22 23, during which operation the topsurface of the dough is slightly sprinkled with flour-dust, as stated,to prevent its adhering to the upper roll 23. As

the dough passes around the lower roll 22 to a position beneathit it isseparated from the roll by a scraper-knife 27, and the flourcoatedsurface of the dough that was previously uppermost falls lowermost ontothe carrier-apron 2, while the uncoated surface, pre viously thatagainst the lower roll 22, becomes uppermost on the carrier-apron. Thesheet of dough is then conducted forwardly by the carrier-apron to thedough-cutter and formed to the proper shapes by said cutter for baking.

While I have described my machine as used for the manufacture ofcrackers, it is also serviceable in making small cakes and sweet goodsof various kinds.

I claim as my invention 1. In apracker-machine, the combination of apair of rolls, a carrier arranged to travel toward the forward end ofthe machine and extending rearwardly beyond the location of said rolls,and a delivery-table arranged forward of said rolls and from which thedough to be rolled is delivered to said rolls to pass therethrough inone direction and be deposited from said rolls onto said carrier in theopposite direction from that of its passage through the rolls,substantially as described.

2. In a cracker-machine, the combination of a pair of rolls, a carrierarranged to travel toward the forward end of the machine and extendingrearwardly beyond the location of said rolls, a delivery-table arrangedforward of said rolls and from which the dough to be rolled is deliveredto said rolls to pass therethrough in one direction and be depositedfrom said rolls onto said carrier in the opposite direction from that ofits passage through the rolls, and a knife adapted to bear against thelowermost of said rolls and separate the dough therefrom and cause it tofall upon said carrier beneath said roll, substantially as described.

JNO. ROSBOROUGH. In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, N. V. ALEXANDER.

